Business, international

Read the signs

Article Abstract:

Economic crisis in Asia is bringing new political leaders to the fore as traditional methods of economic management are rejected. In Malaysia, the resignation of President Mahathir Mohamad is being given more serious consideration, thus paving the way for Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim. Such a shift in power has been made more possible by developments in Indonesia, where President Suharto has already been forced to resign. There are significant differences between Malaysia and Indonesia, but Malaysians are just as concerned as Indonesians about how the government is handling the economic crisis.

Weak welcome

Article Abstract:

The Malaysian United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party astonished Semangat 46 party members when it failed to appoint politician Tunku Razaleigh Hamzah as government minister. Razaleigh, a northern Kelantan state prince, led the Semangat 46 opposition party for nearly ten years before returning around 200,000 members back to their political roots. UMNO president Mahathir Mohamad chose to keep Anwar Ibrahim as deputy president.